Chef Kei Kobayashi wins 3rd Michelin star
On Monday January 27, the Michelin Guide unveiled its new annual list of starred restaurants. While some restaurants have lost a star, three others have joined the exclusive circle of three-starred restaurants. Among them, the Kei restaurant of chef Kei Kobayashi.
A Franco-Nipponese background
After a first experience of French cuisine in Japan between 1993 and 1998, Kei flew to France to perfect his knowledge. There, he explored different terroirs to gain a better understanding of the richness and diversity of expression of gastronomic cuisine… Once in Paris, he joined Alain Ducasse’s kitchen and was introduced to haute gastronomie. With his perfect mastery of cooking techniques, meticulous finishing touches and highly precise gestures, he discovered all the secrets of Parisian star cuisine, working alongside the great name in French gastronomy, as well as chefs Jean-François Piège and Christophe Moret.
Opening his first restaurant
On March 3, 2011, Kei Kobayashi realized his teenage dream and opened his eponymous restaurant at 5 rue Coq Héron, in the 1st arrondissement. In this sleek, silver-gray setting, the chef works with the finest produce, respecting culinary traditions and following the rhythm of the seasons… The creation of a dish is highly spontaneous, drawing on multiple sources of inspiration dictated by his passions: art, fashion, travel and nature.
The first Japanese chef to receive the Grail
In 2012, just one year after opening his restaurant, Kei Kobayashi was awarded his first star. Five years later, the Michelin Guide awarded him his second, confirming his remarkable virtuosity… Finally, in 2020, the 39-year-old chef received the red guide’s supreme recognition with his third star. He thus became the first Japanese chef in France to be awarded three stars. Kei Kobayashi’s ambition is to constantly evolve his cuisine – a subtle blend of French gastronomy and Japanese inspiration. A true consecration for this prodigy of the kitchen!
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Kei Kobayashi x Kaviari
Every month, Kaviari organizes lunches with Michelin-starred chefs. A great fan of caviar (he invented the caviar tart!) it goes without saying that Kei Kobayashi passed through the Manufacture Kaviari in 2018, when he was still only a two-star chef! During this workshop, the chef suggested making a delicious ‘langoustine, Bloody Mary glaze with Kristal caviar’. For Kei, caviar is “a rare product, powerful and very delicate at the same time, which can be sublimated but not cooked.”
Restaurant Kei, 5 Rue Coq Héron, 75001 Paris. 01 42 33 14 74
